23 - Tapestry; Peter & Jan Frans van der Borcht, Flanders, second half of the 18th century.

Tapestry; Peter & Jan Frans van der Borcht, Flanders, second half of the 18th century. “The Grape Harvest” Wool and silk. After works by Augustin Coppens and Jan Van Orley, based on models by David Teniers. Measurements: 235 x 185 cm. Woven in wool and silk, the tapestry displays the characteristic features of 18th-century Brussels production, with a combination of materials that allows for a wide variety of chromatic nuances and effects of depth. The composition depicts a group of peasants gathered near a riverside landscape, sharing wine and conversation after a day’s work harvesting grapes. Men and women are arranged across different planes, forming a genre scene that combines everyday gestures, popular sociability, and the enjoyment of rural life’s pleasures. Scenes of grape harvesting, celebration, and wine drinking were particularly prized for their ability to depict everyday life in the peasant world, combining elements of social observation, humor, and a celebration of simple pleasures. The subject relates to the pictorial tradition of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690), whose work played a decisive role in popularizing depictions of peasants, taverns, folk festivals, and scenes of rural life. The composition draws on the styles of two prominent early-18th-century Brussels artists: Jan van Orley (1665–1735) and Aurèle Augustin Coppens (1668–1740).Jan van Orley was one of the leading designers of tapestry cartoons in Brussels. Trained in the city’s artistic milieu, he was highly active as a painter and draftsman, collaborating with various workshops on the creation of compositions intended for textile production.Augustin Coppens stood out particularly as a landscape painter and draftsman. His collaboration with Van Orley allowed for a specialized division of artistic labor: while Van Orley was involved in the conception of the figures and narrative groups, Coppens developed the landscape backgrounds and natural settings. The execution of the tapestry is attributed to the workshop of master weavers Peter and Jan Frans van der Borcht, members of a prominent family of tapestry makers active in Brussels.